Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1887-10-01
SALVATION BY TORTURE.
"evOITINo RELIGIOUS PERFORM.
ANce IN A MOSQUE.

uCIs1jOOS PERf OHMo
ANce IN A MOSQUE.
Aonannmedan Devotees Engaged In Hor.
saols orEies-Reaching tho Extreme
Faeeh OF Cataleptio Inebriation-M.r.
velous 1~nsensibility to Bodily rn,u-.
mean"hile the music had been growing in
"e'a'y, the orchestra sharing the excite
"ent which they communicated. The drum.
mers beat their tambour. with redonhled
'orce' lifting them high above their beads,
ana occasionally, at some extreme pitch.
tossing them aloft and catching them again
es tney fell. Sometimes. in the exaltation Of
frenzy, they started ~spasmodically 10 their
1eet and then sank back into their original
position.
And now the oscillating line in front of the
doorway for the first time found utterance.
as they leaped high on one foot, alternately
kicking out the other, as their heads waeged
10 and fro and their bodies quivered with the
muscular strain, they cried aloud in praise of
Allah ia ilaha i'll Allah" There is no
200 but Allah). this was the untiring burden
OF their strain. And then came "Ya Allah!"
- God), and sometimes "Ya Kahharl"
~ avenging God, IVA Hakkp 10 just God),
while each burst of clamorous appeal culmi-
mated In an awful shout of 4Ya Hool"
70 Him.
The rapidity and vehemence of their eestic-
ulations was now appalling; their heads
swung backward and forward till their fore
heads almost touched their breasts, and their
scalps smote against their backs. Sweat
poured from their faces; they painted for
breath; and the EXPLANATIONS burst from
their mouths in a thick and stertorous
murmur. Suddenly, and without warning,
the first phase of the zikr ceased, and the &C
tors stood gasping. shaking and dripping
with perspiration.
After a few seconds respite the perform
ance recommended, and shortly waxed
more furious than ever. The worshipers
seemed to be gifted with an almost superhu-
man strength and energy. A. the ecstasy
approached its height and the fully initiated
became melboos n possessed, they broke
from the s~tereotyped litany into demoniacal
grinning and ferocious and bestial cries.
These writing and contorted objects were no
longer rational human beings, but savage
animals, Gagged brutes bowling madly in the
delirium of hunger or Of pain. They growled
ike bears, they barked like jackals, they
roared iii lions, they laughed like hyenas;
and ever and anon from the seething AMI
rose a diabolical shrek, like the scream of q
dying horse or the yell Of a tortured fend.
And steadily the while in the background re-
sounded the impacable reverberation of the
drums.
The climax was now reached; the requisite
pitch Of cataleptic inebriation had been OBJ
tanned, and the rites of Aissa were about to
begin. From the crowd at the door q wild
figure broke forth, tore of his upper clothing
till he was naked to the waist, and, throwing
away his fez, barred a head close shaven, save
for one long and disheveled lock that, spring.
ing from the scalp, fell over his forehead like
some grizzly and funeral plume. A long
knife, somewhat resembling q %cutlass, was
handed to him by the sbeikh, Who had risen
to his feet and who directed the phenomena
that ensued. Waving it wildly above his
head and p%rotruding the forepart of his
figure, the fanatic brought tdown blow after
blow against his barred stomach, and drew it
savagely to and fro against the unprotected
skin. There showed the marks of a long and
livid veal, but nc blood spurted from the
cash. In the intervals between the strokes
A0 Aon oNAAeiy ~ oiA0 " luc OtuCA VI
the open space, taking long, stealthy strides
like a panther about to spring, and seemingly
SO powerless over his own movements that he
Knocked biindly up against those who stood
in his way. nearly upsetting them with tue
violence of the collision.
Tho proves or the piety Of this ardent de-
votion proved extraordinarily contagious.
First one and then another of his brethren
caught the aff1atus and followed his example.
In q few moments every part Of the mosque
was the scene of some novel and horrible rite
Of self mutilation, performed by a fresh
aspirant to the favor Of Allah.
Several long iron splits, Or prongs, were
produced and distributed; these formidable
implements were about two and a half feet
In length and sharply pointed, and they
terminated at the handle in a circular wooden
knob about the size of a large orange. There
was great competition for these instruments
of torture, which were used as follows: Pois-
ing one in the air, an Aissaoui would sud-
denly force the point into the flesh OF his own
shoulder in front just below the shoulder
blade. Thus transfxed and holding the
weapon aloft, he strobe swiftly up and down.
Suddenly. at a signal. he fell on his knees,
still forcing the point into his body and keep
ing the wooden head uppermost. Then there
started up another disciple armed with a big
wooden mallet, and he, after a few prelimi-
nary taps, rising high on tiptoe with upliftcd
weapon would, with an appalling yell, bring
down with all his force upon the wooden
knob, driving the point home through the
shoulder of his comrat:e. Blow succeeded
blow, the victim wincing beneath the stroke,
but uttering no sound, and fixing his eyes
with a look Of ineffable delight upon his tor
turer, till tue point was driven right through
the shoulder and projected at the back. Then
the patient marched backwards and forwards
with the air and the cato of a conquering
hero At ono moment there were four OF
these semi-naked maniacs within a yard OF
feet. transiixed and trembling, but beati-
fed and triumphant.
The most singular feature Of all, and the
one that almost defes belief, though it IS
none the less true, was this: That in no case
did one drop of blood emerge from the scar,
or cash or wound. This fact I observed most
carefully. the mokadden standing at my side,
and each patient in turn coming to him when
his self-imposed torture had been accom-
plished and the cataleptic frenzy had spent its
force. It was tue chief who cunningly with
drew the blade from cheek or shoulder or
body. rubbing over tue spot what appeared
to me to he the saliva of his own mouth; then
he WHISPERED an dissolution in the car of the
disciple and kissed him on the forehead, where
upon the patient. but q moment before with
ing in maniacal transports, retired tran
gully and took his seat upon the floor: de
seemed none the worse for his recent parox'
vsm. and the wound was marked only by q
iivid blotch or q hectic flush.
This was the scene that for more than an
hour went on without pause or intermission
before my eyes. Amid the dust and sweat
and ins,feraule heat the naked bodies Of the
ACTORS shone with q CHASTITY pallor and ex-
hailed a sickening smell. The atmosphere
neeked with heavy and intoxicating fumes.
Above the despairing chant Of the singers
rang the frenzied yells Of tho possessed, the
49, " y,u,oror and fha inarticulate